Foodstuffs North Island is supporting the launch of a dedicated pop-up social supermarket for families facing cost-of-living pressures, which will operate as part of the Kindness Collective’s Christmas Joy Store.
The pop-up social supermarket, which is called Te Harikoa Mākete, has been set up through a partnership between Foodstuffs North Island and the Kindness Collective, giving referred families access to Christmas kai and pantry staples at a time when many households are under strain.
Now in its fifth year, the Joy Store is New Zealand’s first social toy store, enabling referred families to choose new gifts for their children at Christmas.
Foodstuffs North Island Head of Social Supermarkets, Willa Hand, said the co-op’s partnership with the Kindness Collective reflects its focus on improving access to food support in ways that uphold dignity and choice.
At the same time, Kindness Collective Founder and CEO Sarah Page added that demand for support has increased significantly over the past year.
From the 26th of November to the 19th of December, 3,000 referred families will visit the Joy Store to choose gifts for their children. The Kindness Collective also partners with 289 organisations across the country, including NZ Police, hospitals, social services, marae, schools, early learning centres and Mitre 10, to deliver toys to 10,000 children in 91 towns across 17 regions.
Alongside gifts, the pop-up social supermarket will provide families with food and festive items to help them prepare for Christmas Day. More than 1,000 volunteers help source, sort, stock, and distribute items throughout the initiative.
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